true or false
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TRUE -FALSE Type of Test
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Definition
• True-false questions are typically used to measure the ability to identify whether statements of fact are correct. The questions are usually a declarative statement that the student must judge as true or false
• A true/false question requires that the learner choose an either/or response from two choices. The choices can be true or false, yes or no, agree or disagree.
Guidelines for Constructing
True-False Test
1. CLARITY - Use statements upon which clear judgments can be made
Avoid ambiguous/ indefinite terms.
Avoid broad, general statements.
Both parts of a cause-effect relationship must be true - the student should determine if the relationship is true or false.
Avoid long or complex sentences.
Avoid negative statements, especially two negatives in one sentence.
Attribute statements of opinion to a source unless discrimination between fact and opinion is specifically being measured.
2. CLUES - Avoid unintentional clues:
Avoid the use of specific determiners; for example, all, none, never, always, generally.
Avoid answer patterns. Responses should be both randomly sequenced and approximately evenly proportioned.
Avoid length cues, all sentences should be of similar length.
3. RELEVANCE - Relate to Objects
Relate items to specific learning objectives.
Avoid trivial content.
• Versatility - True-false
items are adaptable to the
measurement of a wide
variety of learning
outcomes.
• Scoring accuracy and
economy – Scoring keys can
be economically applied by
machine or clerical
assistants.
Advantages of True-False Items (True-false items share most of the advantages of "objective" or selected-response item forms: )
• Reliability - True-false tests that are highly reliable can be constructed.
• Amenable to item analysis -Item difficulty (the percentage of students who select the correct response)
and item discrimination (a correlation coefficient that indicates how well the item separates students who know the material well from those who do
not) can be used to improve true-false items and inform instruction.
Advantages of True-False Items
• Efficiency -- More test
responses can be obtained
from a given amount of
written material and in a
given amount of time from
true-false items than from
other forms. Three true
false items can be answered
for every two multiple-
choice items. Consequently,
true-false items permit the
widest sampling of content
Advantages of True-False Items (In comparison with other selected-response items, e.g., multiple-choice, true-false items have several additional advantages)
• True-false items are
especially useful for
questions where there are only
two reasonable answers.
• True-false items are
especially useful in testing
misconceptions.
• True-false items can be
expressed in few words, making
them easy to understand and
less dependent on reading
ability.
Advantages of True-False Items
Examples: True or FalseGood
1. All spiders have
exoskeletons.
2. A subject pronoun is used
to replace another noun.
Poor
1. All spiders have exoskeletons and only prey on insects.
2. Subject pronouns, which can be found only in the beginning of sentences and have no bearing on the word order, are used toreplace nouns.
3. Solar energy is an
alternative energy
source.
4. Bread and grain are at
the bottom of the food
pyramid.
3. Solar energy is often
used as an alternative
energy source.
4. Bread and grains are
not at the top of the
food pyramid.
5. Sulfur dioxide
produces sulfuric acid
because of oxidation.
6. The nous form of the
verb, when used in a
command, means let's.
5. Sulfur dioxide produces
sulfuric acid because
sulfur gases are
emitted from industrial
smoke stacks.
6. The nous form of the
imperative always
means let’s.
References
• Bradfield, J.M., & Moredock, H.S. (1957). Measurement and evaluation in education. New York, NY: The Macmillan Company.
• Ebel, R.L. & Frisbie, D.A. (1991). Essentials of Educational Measurement (5th ed). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall